# Why do you want this job? How to answer, with example answers

Connect two or three parts of the day-to-day work to skills you already use and want to grow. Show you understand what the job actually involves, prove you've enjoyed similar work before, and say where it takes you, all in under a minute.

By the Speaking Coach team at Sodhera Intelligence. Updated 2026-10-22. Source: https://www.orecci.com/speaking-coach/interview-questions/why-do-you-want-this-job/

## This question is about the work, not the company

"Why do you want to work here?" is about the employer. "Why do you want this job?" is about what you'd actually do from nine to five. The interviewer is checking:

- **Do you understand the job?** Not the title, the tasks.
- **Will you enjoy it?** People who like the daily work last longer and do it better.
- **Is it a sensible next step?** Does it fit what you've done and where you're going?

A good answer sounds like someone who has pictured an ordinary Tuesday in the role and wants it.

## Turn the job post into a daily picture

1. **List the tasks.** Go through the job post and write down every verb: schedule, analyse, present, answer, train, build, repair.
2. **Translate each into a real day.** "Stakeholder management" might mean emailing four department heads every Monday for numbers.
3. **Mark the ones you've done and enjoyed.** Not just done; enjoyed.
4. **Pick two** where your proof is strongest, and one that's new and you want to learn.

Here's how that looks for a junior data analyst post:

| Job post line | What it means day to day | Your link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| "Build and maintain dashboards" | Fixing broken reports on Monday mornings, adding new charts when asked | You built the society's membership tracker and kept it updated for two years |
| "Work with stakeholders to define requirements" | Asking the sales team what they actually need before building anything | Your placement taught you to ask "What decision will this help you make?" |
| "Use SQL and Python" | Pulling data yourself instead of waiting for IT | You've used SQL in coursework and want to use it on real, messy data |

## A three-part answer

1. **The work that draws you:** name one or two specific tasks.
2. **Your proof:** when you've done something similar and liked it.
3. **The growth:** what this job will let you do that you can't now.

Aim for 40–60 seconds.

## Example answers

Made-up examples to show the method. Use the real tasks from your job post and your own experience.

### Junior data analyst

> "The part of this job I'm most excited about is building the weekly dashboards and then talking them through with the sales team. In my placement I built a simple tracker for the marketing team, and the moment I liked most was when the manager changed a campaign because of something it showed. I want more of that: real data, real decisions. And I want to get much stronger in SQL, which this role uses every day."

### Customer success manager

> "I like the mix of this role: onboarding new customers, checking in on how they're using the product, and spotting when someone's about to cancel. That's close to what I do now as an account coordinator, except I mostly just process the paperwork. I want to be the person who actually talks to customers and fixes the problem, and this job puts that at the centre."

### Warehouse team leader

> "I've been a picker for three years, and for the last year I've been the one training new starters and covering when the lead is off. This role is that, full-time: planning the shift, keeping the team on pace and solving problems on the floor. I like the days when something goes wrong and we still get every order out, and I want the responsibility for making that happen."

### Primary school teaching assistant

> "What I want from this job is the one-to-one and small-group work, especially with children who need extra help with reading. I volunteered for a year in a reading programme at my local library, and the best part was seeing a child who wouldn't read aloud in September reading a whole page by spring. This role is mostly that, and I'd also learn from working alongside experienced teachers every day."

## Weak reasons and what to say instead

| Weak reason | Why it hurts | Stronger version |
| --- | --- | --- |
| "It pays well." | Any better-paid job would do | Name a task you'd enjoy |
| "It's close to home." | True, but says nothing about the work | Mention it only as a bonus, after the work |
| "I've always wanted to work in this field." | Vague | Say which part of the field and why |
| "I'm looking for a challenge." | Every job is a challenge | Say which challenge in this job |
| "I need a change." | About escaping, not choosing | Say what you're changing toward |
| "It's a stepping stone." | You'll leave | Talk about what you'll learn here |

## Special situations

- **First job:** use studies, part-time work, volunteering or a project as your proof. The daily-task method works the same way.
- **Career change:** explain which parts of the new work you've already done in some form. See [why do you want to change careers](/speaking-coach/interview-questions/why-do-you-want-to-change-careers/).
- **A step down in seniority:** be ready to explain why the work itself appeals, and that you've thought it through. See [are you overqualified for this job](/speaking-coach/interview-questions/are-you-overqualified-for-this-job/).
- **Both questions at once** ("Why this job, and why here?"): give one role reason, then one company reason. Thirty seconds each.

## How to practise it

Say your answer out loud, and check you named actual tasks rather than general wishes. A good test is whether a friend could repeat back what the job involves after hearing your answer. Practise with a partner who asks "What part of this job would you find hardest?" because a thoughtful answer to that makes your enthusiasm believable. Speaking Coach's AI interviewer follows up on what you say, and the free [interview answer review](/speaking-coach/tools/interview-answer-review/) checks your pace and filler words.

## Questions people ask

### How is "Why do you want this job?" different from "Why do you want to work here?"

This one is about the role and its daily tasks. The other is about the company: its products, customers and direction. Prepare one reason for each.

### What if I mostly want the job for the money or location?

Those are fine private reasons, but lead with the work. Find two tasks you'd genuinely enjoy and talk about those.

### How long should my answer be?

Around 40–60 seconds: two tasks you'd enjoy, one proof, one growth point.

### What if I've never done this kind of work?

Use the closest thing you have done, even from study or volunteering, and be honest that some parts are new. Say how you'd learn them.

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